Mangiare bene

GREENWOOD LAKE — Celebrity chef/owner Tony Kolaj has a keen interest in politics. So on Tuesday evening, Feb. 5, he was happy to prepare a traditional seven-course Italian dinner for local officials along with their families and friends at Al Laghetto, his Greenwood Lake restaurant.

The well-appointed and cozy Italian restaurant is located at 40 Route 210 (Jersey Avenue) on the west shore of Greenwood Lake near the West Milford, N.J., and Warwick, N.Y., border.

Guests included Town of Warwick Supervisor Michael Sweeton, Greenwood Lake Mayor Barbara Moore, West Milford Mayor Bettina Bieri, West Milford Township Administrator Nancy Gage and Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Michael Johndrow.

The officials, who had an opportunity to share problems and exchange ideas, were in good company.

“I thought it would be appropriate to prepare a special dinner for official representatives of both West Milford and Warwick since we are almost on the border of New York and New Jersey and our patrons come from both communities,” said Kolaj.

At the end of the evening he joined the diners to discuss his favorite subjects, politics and history.

Although he was born in Albania, Kolaj has an excellent command of American and European history and he enjoys discussing that subject.

“When I came from Albania, a communist country at that time, to the United States I couldn’t believe I could travel anywhere I wanted at anytime and without official authorization,” said Kolaj. “I decided that I would love this country and if I was going to become a good citizen, I would learn everything about it from the earliest days in its history.”